


Struck

by SparklerHale1025



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Injury, Car Accidents, Flashbacks, Hurt Willie, M/M, Movie Night, Post-Canon, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:13:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28282239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SparklerHale1025/pseuds/SparklerHale1025
Summary: “I’m fine.” His voice sounded hollow to himself, but he tried to be insistent. Alex didn’t need to worry about him. No one needed to worry about him. He was strong. He was fine. He was fine he was fine he was fine he was fine-“Willie, you're crying.”
Relationships: Alex Mercer & Luke Patterson & Reggie Peters & Julie Molina & Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Alex Mercer/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 110





	Struck

**Author's Note:**

> okay okay okay this has been on my mind for a while and i finally sat down to write it. hope you enjoy! 
> 
> tw:// blood, vague description of injuries, car accident

“So, what are we watching today?”

Willie could easily say that days like these made it easier to smile. Those few precious hours away from the club have become a rope that was keeping him from slipping into a dark sea. There was no Caleb and he could pretend that his soul was safe.

Though it never really was, in reality. Caleb seemed to be biding his time. He would demand more of Willie, but there was no mention of any Julie or the guys. Do a dance, help out with tables, or talk to the guests, Caleb would shout. It was almost like nothing had happened at the Orpheum. He was starting to see it has a ticking time bomb that he didn’t know when would go off. 

But that made it all the more precious to keep these moments close. Who knew when they would be the last one.

“I’m not really sure. But it’s not like I would know it. Apparently it’s new.” Alex shrugged, but turned his head to smile, inches away from him as they sat on the couch. 

Alex has such a beautiful smile, honestly. He could spend days staring at it. Never has anything been so warm, and kind directed toward him.

There was a projector set on the table ahead of them. It shined light on the garage's closed doors, but nothing had started to play yet. Reggie and Luke, it seemed, had taken to some plush cushions that sat on the floor next to the table.

“Yours is bigger.” Reggie murmured, and tugged at the pink material. Luke laughed, kicking his leg toward Reggie to try and knock him off the smaller cushion he sat on.

“That’s because Julie’s gonna sit you me, you moron-...speaking of Julie, are you ready?”

Willie watched as Julie squinted at what looked like a CD box, before she set it down on the small table. “I was just making sure this was the right movie, your highness. Want to rush me some more?”

“Aren’t they adorable?” Alex spoke up next to him, and Willie couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped him. 

“Very adorable. Seems to be a common theme around here.” Willie teased, and he enjoyed the way Alex blinked, smiled and looked away.

With Julie ready, they didn’t waste time to start the movie. Maybe it was because they knew he didn’t have much time here. They tried not to speak about Caleb, in times like this. Movie night was movie night. “We already spend days trying to figure out what to do about Caleb.”, Alex had said. Willie could only smile and agree.

Willie had been half paying attention to the movie. It seemed like a cheap horror, stupid, but easy to follow. Reggie and Luke seemed to enjoy that part. Their running commentary had them all laughing, and Julie trying to shut them up only made their laughs louder. The other half of his time he was glancing at Alex, and sometimes Alex would even glance back.

Feelings were difficult, but Willie felt he knew his own fairly welll. He cared for Alex, with a connection that wasn’t easy to have. He felt like he could talk to him about anything. And still being able to talk to him was something he didn’t want to take for granted. Alex didn’t have to forgive him for what happened. But now they were even closer, and he’d do absolutely anything for him.

There was a familiar sound that dragged him to look back to the screen and focus on the movie. It was a skater, moving fast down a busy neighborhood road. The sun was high in the sky, and there were no clouds in sight. There were cars honking but they steered clear, and the man didn’t purposefully try to get in the car's way. The peaceful moment lasted a second before the skater seemed to run over something. It took the skater’s attention away from in front of him, and he looked behind himself.

The moment he looks away, he doesn’t see the car that is heading straight toward him. The camera goes to show the that the driver is reaching for something that is in the passenger seat and slightly leans the car in the wrong direction.

It’s violent. The crash has the car going too fast and slams itself into the skater. Flesh and bones break, and makes bruises appear as the body meets the windshield. There is a terrible noise as the skater lands on the rough pavement of the road. As soon as the skater stills on the ground, he’s still alive for a few painful seconds. Blood gushes from his wounds and his mouth. A rattle in his chest makes it barely expand as his chest is crushed. Finally, the skater inhales one last time before his breathing finally settles.

Willie then sees it, and feel’s it. He remembers. He remembers the thick smell of deep red blood, the intense pain in his head; that the helmet should have prevented. The noises of the cars, and the sight of his cracked skateboard several feet away from him from where it had been flung from his feet. He had a moment just like the movie, where he had still been alive, and laid on the sunny pavement alone. The pain was unbearable. There had not been a inch of skin that didn’t burn.

He had been staring at the sky, trying to inhale air; anything at all to relieve the burning of his chest. But he couldn’t no matter how hard he tried. Then there was a half a heartbeat where he felt nothing, and his body became numb. When he realized that he he was going to die. That his life was going to be cut short. He’d die alone alone alone all alone alone alone-

“-llie? Willie!”

The memory washed away like water sprayed on paint, and he jerked forward, away from the a touch that had been laying against his shoulder. He blinked quickly, and noticed first that the screen on the garage door showed that the movie had been paused.

Luke and Reggie had moved off the cushions to crouch in front of him. They were a few feet away, and looked more concerned than he’s ever seen them. Julie stood just behind Luke, holding onto the remote tightly in her hand. 

Willie didn’t want to, but turned his head slightly, and looked at Alex. His hand was still outstretched from when he had been touching him, but it was Alex’s face that made him feel guilty. He thought Luke and Reggie looked plenty worried. There was a wideness to Alex’s eyes, and his mouth moved, but Willie couldn’t hear anything. 

“I’m fine.” His voice sounded hollow to himself, but he tried to be insistent. Alex didn’t need to worry about him. No one needed to worry about him. He was strong. He was fine. He was fine he was fine he was fine he was fine-

“Willie, you're crying.”

Lifting a hand to his face, he could see that Alex was right. There was a wetness on his face that he hadn’t realized was there. And it was that realization that set all his senses back to reset. The numbness had faded.

Ghosts didn’t need to breathe, yet that made him feel even worse. No breathing no breathing death death pain the car crash-

“I-I have to go!” Willie stood up quickly, and didn’t look at anyone as he poofed out. The shouts for him to wait didn’t stop him. He really had nowhere to go, yet instinct had brought him to the place where he held the fondest memories.

The museum.

Willie threw himself on the bench and pressed his head into his knees. The darkness soothed him. And the moon shine enough through the windows enough to not leave the place in total darkness. The scene from the movie had been so similar. Even down to the weather. He had died in sunlight, and it was darkness that he sat in, calming him down.

“It’s been years. It’s okay. I’m okay.” Willie said quietly under his breath, his eyes closed and he nodded to no one but himself. Time seemed to help return himself to normal. He had just needed a moment.

“Willie?” 

The whisper of his name made him flinch, but he slowly looked up, and urged a familiar smile to appear on his face. “Hey, hotdog.”

“I’m sorry, you probably didn’t want me to follow you, but everyone was worried, and I was worried, and I didn’t want you to be alone, if you didn’t need to be-”

Willie didn’t know what to say, and decided maybe he didn’t need to, instead held his hand out forward. Alex glanced from it, to his face, and lifted his own hand forward to press their fingers together. 

After pulling Alex closer, their hands settled on the bench and they settled next to each other.

“I’m glad you came.” He said quietly. “I-...just needed a moment. And I didn’t want them to see me like that...whatever that was…”

“Them?”

Willie felt a press of a real smile starting and he turned his head from where it rested on his knees and looked at Alex. Always looking at Alex. “You're a little bit special.”

Alex smiled in return, and he felt a gentle squeeze to his hand. It was the most grounding feeling he’s felt since he’s come to the museum.

“You probably have an idea what happened. But it was...new to me.” Willie mumbled. 

“Oh. Could it be Caleb?”

Willie shrugged his shoulders, and gripped onto Alex’s hand tighter, “I wouldn’t put it past him. But all the stress about my soul, barely being able to see you, and that scene...being so similar, I’m not surprised I just couldn't’ handle it.”

“I’m sorry. I should have told Julie to pause it as soon as I saw what was happening. Even if nothing had happened, it felt wrong to watch...” Alex sighed, leaning his head forward.

Willie shifted and scooted closer, putting their intertwined hands on his lap as he leaned his head against the curve of Alex’s shoulder. “It’s alright. You didn’t know.”

“Can I hug you? Please?”

All he could do was nod, and press his face into Alex’s shoulder as arms brought him closer. It felt very similar to the hug they had when they had parted, and he realized he might never see Alex again. But this hug lasted longer, and they held each other tighter. “It’s just us. I got you. You’re alright, Willie. I always got you.”

If Alex felt his shoulder become wet, he said nothing but press him closer to his chest, and whisper in his ear again.

* * *

When they finally returned, Julie was the first to hug him. Quickly followed by Luke and Reggie. They hugged him like they knew each other all of their lives. They were just that kind.

Maybe Alex knew what he was feeling because he grinned widely, and squeezed their still twined hands together.

They threw out the movie they had been watching and decided to spend the rest of the night free and joking and watching something called the Bee Movie.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I LOVE WILLIE SO MUCH WHY DO I HURT HIM


End file.
